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Weighing the Options
Children’s surgeons play a leading role in evaluating whether surgery is the best treatment option.
A Day in the Life of the OR
Seattle Children’s HealthLink Special
This one-hour special features Seattle Children’s nationally known Department of Surgery.
Robotic Surgery
Children’s uses the da Vinci® robotic system to perform robot-assisted laparoscopy (RAL), a type of minimally invasive surgery that has benefits for patients and surgeons alike.
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Bettering, and Beating, the Odds
It is the moment every expectant parent dreads. The physician examines an ultrasound and delivers devastating news: Something is terribly wrong. Ariana Gebow's parents decision to seek care at Children's gave her the chance for a healthy life.
Q&A with George Drugas
What's the best thing about working at Seattle Children’s?
The best thing about working at Children’s is being part of a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital that isn't resting on the laurels of its past but dedicated to making itself ever better. There is a pervasive effort at all levels in the institution to not just be good enough but to really strive to excel in the care provided kids and their families.
Pediatric Surgery
Seattle Children’s General and Thoracic Surgery team treats infants, children and teens for a variety of conditions, including those affecting the thoracic area, abdomen and pelvis.
From fixing the simplest hernia or treating appendicitis, to operating on the most complex abdominal wall defect, to performing surgery on patients with cancer, the Pediatric Surgery team is bringing groundbreaking advances in diagnosis and treatment to the children of the Pacific Northwest.
Pediatric Surgeons
If you want your child to have surgery, go anywhere; if you want someone to think about what's in your child's best interest, come to Seattle Children’s.
~ Dr. Robert Sawin, Seattle Children’s pediatric surgeon-in-chief
Some people think that surgeons who operate on adults are also experts in the surgical care of infants, children and teens. We don't agree. Growing bodies are different than adult bodies, and childhood diseases are not the same as adult diseases. Even the way kids react to surgery — from anesthesia to IV fluids — is different than adults.
That's why we focus only on kids and why our surgeons are all board-certified or eligible for board certification.
Whether we're treating a 1-pound preemie or a 300-pound high school football player, our doctors are specially trained to treat children of every age and developmental stage.
In fact, every member of our team – from our appointment schedulers to our pediatric nurses – is specially trained to work with children and their families, and our facilities and equipment reflect this kid-friendly, family-centered approach.
Is Surgery Best?
We've found that some conditions that are commonly treated with surgery are actually better treated using other therapies that don’t include surgery. Even though we're a surgical team, we often use nonoperative methods to treat children. In fact, many of the children we see do not require surgery — more than 40% of our patients go home without needing to have an operation.
But if we determine that an operation is the best method to fix your child's condition, we can offer expertise in a broad range of operative approaches, including minimally invasive surgery — a technique that means a smaller scar, less pain during recovery and a shorter hospital stay. We do more minimally invasive surgeries on children for a broader range of conditions than any institution in the region. Because some of our pediatric surgeons are national leaders in using minimally invasive surgical techniques, we have the most expertise in assessing whether laparoscopy, robot-assisted laparoscopy, or thoracoscopy is best for your child.
More Surgeries, Better Outcomes
It's nice to know that this world-class hospital hasn't lost sight of its customer care. With all the interesting and exciting things that happen at Seattle Children’s, a simple operation like my daughter's appendectomy was still treated with importance and respect.
~ Angela Ziska, parent, Mukilteo, Wash.
In 2008, we had over 3,000 patient visits, and our doctors performed more than 2,400 general and thoracic surgical procedures. Of these operations, nearly one-third were day surgeries and required no overnight stays. Being able to take your child home on the same day after surgery reduces schedule disruptions that illness or injury brings.
Overall, Seattle Children’s surgical teams — from craniofacial to orthopedics — perform about 13,000 surgeries each year. That's double the number of pediatric surgeries completed by anyone else in the region.
More cases mean greater surgical expertise and a sharper ability to determine if surgery is even necessary — and that adds up to better outcomes.
Pain Management
We understand that helping your family anticipate and prepare for a surgery is very important. We also know that managing your child's pain after surgery is critical to the healing process. That's why Seattle Children’s has a dedicated Pain Medicine team that specializes in helping kids recover more quickly. We use a variety of methods, from pain medicines formulated especially for children to regional anesthesia to alternatives such as acupuncture.
Broad Range of Conditions Treated
Our doctors are experts in general pediatric surgery and at treating all conditions of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Learn more about our doctors and read a sampling of the conditions we treat.